I question (as usual) the wisdom of having government try to remake the commercial outlook of a city in a particular way. Typically, much tax money is spent, many grand plans fail, and well-connected businesses tend to do better than those without key contacts.

On the other hand, the Hialeah project, which calls for mixed use development with many low-cost residences above ground-floor businesses, seems like the type of loosening of land use restrictions to allow higher densities that is desperately needed in southeast Florida, where build-able land is rapidly disappearing. If the zoning changes allow for the construction of new buildings in which a fourth-story low-cost apartment unit sits above a small insurance office on the second floor, which rests above a cafe serving black beans and plantain on the first floor, this seems like a rationale and welcome vision for 21st century Hialeah –- or any place, for that matter.

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I live in one of those selected areas: in a triangle formed for Okeechobee Rd. Le Jeune Rd. SE 8 Street and i dont know how they would build affordable houses in a place where the land is very expensive and homeowners wont sell their properties for cheap.
I think the city already has a proposal and what i heard they dont want black beans and rumba, but jazz and starbuck coffee, Maybe they want to mix different incomes in the same projects, but for sure investors will have to pay more than 100 millions for properties.

Posted by: Reyhavana | Feb 19, 2007 7:19:44 AM

New Century is 1 of many to come

New Century, made news because of their size, but few reporters have their eye on the ball. NovaStar’s stock also took a hit and may soon join the "many" sub prime lenders who have already gone bankrupt. This problem began 14 months ago and will continue through 2007.

Who’s watching the store? NO ONE! It starts with government accountability – the OCC and MBA not only support aggressive lending tactics but they look the other way when consumers are ripped off

Who is watching out for the consumer? NO ONE in big business. Aggressive marketing tactics allow consumers' data to be available to anyone who will pay. Trans Union will even sell your name the day your credit is run, it’s called trigger data. What would consumers say about that?

Ads on TV and radio that make claims that are completely untrue lure unsuspecting people into a liars den. Then the sales person lies through their teeth to sell a loan that has no benefit to the consumer ultimately stripping the consumers equity and rewarding the Loan Agent with a fat commission. The industry that helped generate all those new homeowners (and our equity) has destroyed itself with greed.

Once the loan in originated – disclosure is weak at best. Consumers have no way to get the real facts about the loan they just initiated because they never get to see the rate they qualify for. They are beholden to the sales person.

For the truth about lending (with no fraudulent pop up ads pushing a $250,000 mortgage for $619/M) go to www.howtotorial.com it's time consumers know the truth!